After Kuroko
by jetblxcklwt
Summary: As the clock stuck midnight on the last day of the year, Kuroko Tetsuya disappears mysteriously, leaving no traces that he had ever existed. As Seirin and the GOM struggle to figure out what happened to their beloved shadow, they will uncover truths about him they never knew. Kuroko Tetsuya never existed. Or did he?
1. Chapter 1

11:56 P.M.

31 December 2014

* * *

A lone figure stood in the apartment numbered 1007. A sliver of moonlight shone through a grey cloud, briefly illuminating the grim face of Kuroko Tetsuya, before it disappeared again.

The apartment was bare of any personal possessions. Tetsuya had made sure to choose an apartment that had already been furnished. He was not going to waste any money on furniture when he wasn't even planning on staying for long.

A backpack was slung on Tetsuya's shoulders. His blue eyes were soulless – dark pools of emptiness. He stared at the apartment which he had occupied for the last 5 years. In all honesty, this had started as a result of Tetsuya not quite knowing what he should do, only that he needed to escape from the scientists – permanently. So, as soon as he had escaped from the labs, he had gotten himself adopted, and had immersed himself in a sport he saw on television that seemed normal for other kids to like – basketball.

As Tetsuya attempted his first tries at basketball, he met another boy by the name of Shigehiro Ogiwara, who offered to teach him. And that was how it all began – the Generation of Miracles, Seirin, Kagami. It started with a boy who did not know what to do; a boy who was lost. A boy who picked Kuroko as his surname simply because the name represented what he was – a shadow who could and would disappear into the darkness at any moment. While the surname Kuroko now signified his connection to Seririn and the Generation of Miracles, it was exactly for that reason that Tetsuya could no longer use it.

Humans feared the unknown simply because they do not know what it holds. And it was for that exact reason that Tetsuya had been caged and studied, until he eventually snapped and broke out. While humans were scared of the unknown, they don't seem to want to know everything either. In fact, there was even a quote that "ignorance is bliss" while it is not. However, it would be ignorance itself that served as Tetsuya's cover. No one wanted to hear the story of the valiant team who fought their best but were still taken down. All they wanted to hear was the glamourized truth – they only wanted the story of how the winning team blazed through every single competitor, and how it was certain that they would be the winner.

So Tetsuya became a "shadow". He became someone who helped from the shadows. He made use of his lack of presence to pull off the art of Misdirection. And it worked. He became a team with the Generation of Miracles. Tetsuya had planned to quit after junior high, but that became impossible. Indeed, it would have been the smart choice to disappear. But the Generation of Miracles had started to hate basketball. They had taken their ability for granted and were confident that no one save their ex-teammates could beat them. And Tetsuya hated their attitude towards a sport that he loved and had taken the time to master.

And that was how Seirin came into the story. Tetsuya enrolled into Seirin partly because he admired their teamwork, but also because Seirin was a new school and therefore, nameless. It was not yet known for anything, so it was safe. A pity that all ended with the Winter Cup. Tetsuya knew that, with the Emperor of Creation taken down, Seirin would rise up to glory. And that was why he needed to leave. It was for his own safety.

The hour hand was nearing the number 12. Tetsuya took a deep breath and sighed. Soon, he would have to disappear once again. There was a limit as to how long he could stay in one place before he was in danger of being exposed. And though he had enjoyed his stay in Teiko and Seirin as a member of the Generation of Miracles and deeply wanted to stay, he could not. His extended stay had only happened because he wanted – needed – to bring the Generation of Miracles back to their old selves again. Now that the deed was done, Tetsuya had no reason other than his own longing to remain here any further.

Memories flooded his mind – of his days in Teiko where he had been Aomine's shadow, of the consecutive championships they had won, of how the Generation of Miracles had slowly came to hate basketball, of himself and his new light: Kagami, of how he had defeated the Generation of Miracles one by one, successfully bringing back their love for basketball – and suddenly, he felt an urge greater than any he had felt before to stay behind; he wanted so desperately to let everything go and to just stay here in Seirin where he felt he belonged for the first time in his whole life. What had started out as a simple goal to live normally had turned into something more. Basketball had made him experience so many things – friendship, love, hatred, trust, and much more.

His hands were now balled into fists, but, as the clock struck 12, they relaxed and Tetsuya smiled sadly. He would have to leave yet again. He had wanted so badly to stay for his second year at Seirin, but that would not happen. He knew that, and yet he was still hoping for a miracle to happen. His extended stay was possible only because there had been no danger. But now, threats were once again rising. Tetsuya would risk his cover being blown and his existence eliminated if he stayed with the very reason he stayed alive. A mirthless chuckle escaped Tetsuya as he closed his eyes.

A dark cloud covers the entire moon, and, after it was gone, so was Tetsuya. Apartment 1007 was empty once again, save for the small note left on the coffee table.

* * *

_To everyone,_

_I deeply regret having to leave, but it is something that can no longer be avoided. I have looked forward to spending my second year at Seirin with all of you, and to play basketball with you the way we used to, but it seems that even staying for the rest of the school year would be impossible._

_By the time you have read this, I will be gone. My parting words to you have been written to each of you individually, and you should receive them a few days from now. I wish you all a happy new year. I apologize for leaving, and I will definitely miss all of you. Thank you for all the happy memories we shared._

_Love,_

_Tetsuya_

* * *

**Re-written as of 16/3/2015.**

**The plot has been reviewed and revised. There have been some minor changes. This will now be a fully supernatural fic.**

**Will edit and re-write the next chapter ASAP. Please read and review.**


	2. Chapter 2

4:45 P.M.

3 January

* * *

To say that Seirin's coach was angry would be an understatement – a huge one at that. Aida Riko was beyond mad. She was fuming in a silent and cold anger. One might ask why and how anyone could manage to make her this angry. Well, the answer came in six syllables, two words, and one name: Kuroko Tetsuya.

The blue-haired male had not been sighted for the last 3 days and all of Seirin were getting worried. It wasn't like Kuroko to skip practice or fail to inform the coach of anything that might have obstructed him from attending. According to Kagami (though she was unsure how much she could trust the idiot), Kuroko had not been to class as well.

Seirin had been quick to adjust themselves so they would tread carefully around the coach's temper. Izuki did not quite make any more lame puns. Hyuga stopped quarrelling with Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi started to be more serious. Even Kagami stopped being the usual idiot he was. Besides, they were quite concerned about Kuroko's wellbeing too. Their shadow was what kept them going in the dark times; and they would be damned if they weren't worried.

And so, finally, Riko decided that she had had enough.

"Alright, that's it! We're going to pay Kuroko-kun a visit!"

Almost instantaneously, everyone froze in silence, the only sound being the basketball bouncing to a halt as it fell from Kagami's hand. Resonations of _I should have known this would happen _and _that's why she was all happy today_ echoed through their minds. Everyone could feel the sense of dread slowly settling down, suffocating them.

"A-ano… but we don't know where Kuroko-kun lives…" Furihata timidly spoke up, daring to break the pregnant silence. Immediately, he regretted it when everyone turned to face him, including the coach.

"Hm, I'll admit I haven't thought of that…"

Hyuga could feel the sense of disbelief attacking him. His left eye twitched as if in annoyance or disbelief. As if sensing this, Riko turned to face him instead, smiling her usual demonic smile that screamed if-you-do-not-do-as-i-say-you-shall-have-your-training-quintripled and Hyuga knew he was dead.

"Hyuga-kun, do you have **something to say**?"

Hyuga shook his head violently.

"Good! Now, team, as for Kuroko-kun's address, we can simply ask the school office for it! Since I'm his coach, they should let me have it!" Riko's smile suggested that something unfortunate would happen should that not be the case. The team started praying that they should make it out unscathed.

The rest of practice went by in a quieter way. Only the squeak of shoes against the tiled floor, the bouncing sound of the ball, the victorious sound of the ball going into the hoop, and their tired pants could be heard. Not a single word nor conversation was exchanged. It was simply as if Seirin had learned how to communicate mentally in 3 days.

Riko stood to the side, with a clipboard in hand and eyebrows scrunched in concentration. She took note of all their moves, and their possible weaknesses. Basketball practice had never been duller, and all because of a certain shadow's absence.

Unknown to them, Tetsuya was watching from outside – observing quietly on how they got on without him. Once in a while, Kagami would toss mindlessly to the side, as if forgetting that Tetsuya wasn't there, and assume a position for Tetsuya to pass back, only to find the ball hitting out-of-bounds. The scene brought a small smile to the otherwise emotionless face of Tetsuya. It was nice to know that Kagami missed him.

Just then, the pendant he wore around his neck gleamed momentarily, but it was enough for Tetsuya to catch. Tetsuya sighed as his fingers enclose around the pendant. Then, he yanked on it, and he disappeared, leaving no traces he had ever been there.

Inside the practice courts, Kagami felt a sense of foreboding and he turned to look at the window that Tetsuya had been looking through just a few seconds ago. A puzzled look came over him when he sees no one there. He could have sworn that he had seen someone, or something outside. Perhaps it had been Aomine, who had somehow managed to blend into the darkness with his skin…

Well, he would have to give that ganguro a call later. Perhaps he had seen Kuroko?

Riko ended practice early on the note that they needed to visit the school office before it closed. They barely made it, and the team sat on the chairs while waiting for their coach to coax the address out of the secretary. Within 5 minutes, Riko procured the address on a slip, and they set off. Small banter was exchanged between the team, but it was nothing serious. No one wanted to bring up any guesses on why Kuroko had not attended school for the past 3 days.

When they finally arrived in front of the apartment block, they had to persuade the security guard that no, they were not axe murderers, they were from one of the residents' school and were here to visit him. The guard only relented the key to them after scrutinizing them for a good 10 minutes (or what felt like it anyway).

After much squeezing, they managed to fit into the elevator. Izuki attempted to make a pun to relieve the tension but Hyuga glared him into silence. When they came to a stop on level 10, they walked albeit hesitantly towards number 1007. As Riko unlocked the door, the others held their breath. They weren't so sure what they were supposed to expect.

What was revealed to them surprised them to no end. The apartment was bare, not in the sense that it had no furniture, but rather in the sense that there were no… _memories _in the house. No photographs, no certificates – nothing. A quick search of the bedroom and bathroom proved the fact that Kuroko had not been living in the apartment for some time. It wasn't until later that they found the letter on the coffee table, weighed by a paper weight.

* * *

_To everyone,_

_I deeply regret having to leave, but it is something that can no longer be avoided. I have looked forward to spending my second year at Seirin with all of you, and to play basketball with you the way we used to, but it seems that even staying for the rest of the school year would be impossible._

_By the time you have read this, I will be gone. My parting words to you have been written to each of you individually, and you should receive them a few days from now. I wish you all a happy new year. I apologize for leaving, and I will definitely miss all of you. Thank you for all the happy memories we shared._

_Love,_

_Tetsuya_

* * *

A dark silence settled over Seirin as they stood, stunned at what their coach had read to them. There was a kind of vulnerability in Riko's eyes as she passed the letter to a stricken Kagami, who inspected it over again to see if there was a "Just kidding" anywhere on the letter. This couldn't be happening. Kuroko couldn't have left them, right? This was a sick joke – a prank that would be over when Kuroko came back… Kuroko wouldn't – _couldn't _– just leave without a word to any of them.

And yet, that was exactly what had happened. The handwriting was Kuroko's. The words seemed like ones that Kuroko would write.

_But why would Kuroko leave? _

The Kuroko they knew would never do so without informing anyone about it personally. A question weighed itself down on their minds as they pondered, _had they ever really known Kuroko after all?_

Seirin stood there for a long time, heavy tension lingering in the air. It wasn't until Riko's watch beeped to inform them that it was now 5 in the afternoon that they came to their senses and began to leave the apartment. The tension lingered long after they left.

Riko gave the key back to the guard and thanked him. Anyone would have noticed her looking like a lost puppy who had been abandoned by its owner. The blow was a hard one. Realizing that Kuroko was gone… no, she could not accept that. She was not going to accept that fact until she got her letter and read it. She was _not_ going to break down. How could she when Kagami was giving her looks that screamed 'please tell me this isn't true'?

Seirin parted without words of farewell, something Kuroko would have pointed out and frowned upon if he were there.

_If he were there._

* * *

**Thank you for reading all up until here! In appreciation, I wrote a small omake below!**

* * *

**Omake**

* * *

A basketball aimed for his face snapped him out of his reverie violently. He fell backwards onto his back as the basketball came to a stop against the benches. No matter how much he loved basketball, Kagami most definitely did _not _like being smacked in the _face _with one. Sitting up, he sent a furious glare in the direction of a smug-looking Hyuga.

"My hand slipped." The smirk curled on his face suggested anything but that. Kagami started to plot out Hyuga's demise in his head. He retrieved the ball and started to dribble it. Well, he was going to teach his senpai a lesson or two. He dribbled right up to Hyuga, taking on a stance he did in one-on-one only. Hyuga arched an eyebrow but got into a similar pose in order to stop him from pulling off a drive.

Miraculously, Kagami somehow managed to pull off an Ankle Break, but moments after Hyuga fell, he followed suit as he lost balance. It was a hilarious, stomach-aching scene that brought tears of mirth to Riko's eyes. She gave up on muffling her laughter and instead let it all out, the sound of joy echoing.

"S-shut up!" Kagami yelled, his cheeks as red as his hair. Even Hyuga let out a chuckle as he stood up, dusting off imaginary dust. He mockingly offerd a hand to Kagami, which made an urge to spit on it rise up in the red head. Kagami slapped the hand away and instead, stands up himself.

"This. Never. Happened." Kagami hissed at them, sending each and every one of them a death glare, as if that would make their memories of the past few minutes disappear. No such miracle existed for the poor tiger, however, and he would come to be the brunt of jokes and Izuki's puns for the next few days.

* * *

**Edited as of 16/3/2015**

**A minor reminder that from this chapter onwards, there might be quite a bit of confusion! But you finally get to read about just a little bit of action in the next chapter!**

**Read, review, follow, and favourite! Thank you!**

**XOXO,**

**LegacyOfLight**


	3. Chapter 3

2:43 A.M.

4 January

* * *

The flame flickered momentarily, casting long shadows deep into the room where they disappeared into darkness. If the flame were to extinguish, the whole room would descend into the dark yet again – for it was the only thing illuminating the room at the late hour. Yet, the flame did not do justice to the room's splendour and glamour. The flame did not reveal the majestic chandelier overhead, nor did it the numerous collectible paintings, or the bookcases filled with tomes that were ancient yet well-kept. Much like the owner of the mansion, what the flame revealed of the room just barely scratched the surface.

Outside of the room, a butler stood waiting. Nothing indicated that the butler was anything but ordinary – except the gleam in his eyes that were not human-like at all. He carried a silver tray, on which stood a bottle of wine and a wine glass. The predatory eyes flicked to his watch for a moment, though he didn't need to do so. He could tell the time effortlessly, after all; the action was just to distract himself from the worry seeding in him.

The master was late. That was unlikely of the young boy which held much more potential than his age would have suggested. The appearance of the master was one of deception – its sole purpose to make the others underestimate him. Even the butler needed to constantly remind himself that the master was not to be tested – the scar on his right forearm was a reminder of that.

Just then, a wisp of grey mist slithered past the butler, who turned and acquired eye contact with the master. A brief look of concern came over his expression upon seeing the condition of the master – harsh pants, dirt smeared on his clothes which had some rips, and worst of all, blood. Just a small sniff at the air told the butler that indeed, the blood belonged to the master.

Now, this was certainly a cause for concern. After all, the master was regarded by him to be the most powerful one of his kind. Never before had he met _anyone _who could compare with the master. And yet, someone had wounded the master. Someone had gotten into a fight with him, and had made him tired and late and _wounded_. This someone – or something – was not ordinary.

"Master, are you-"

One look from him was enough to sink the butler into silence as he regained himself. The butler could not see any prominent wound, which meant that the master had already healed himself. This was, of course, yet another rare ability the master possessed – the ability to heal, and at the same time, to destroy. It was one of the many things why he had become the master's apprentice; why he, being a naturally prideful person, would submit to someone else – another shadow.

"Help me to the room." The master rasped, his voice sounded sickly and the butler knew that the overuse of his powers had drained his master greatly. The opponent must have been overwhelmingly powerful. The master's eyes were not filled with the cold-hearted joy of knowing he had defeated another opponent – no, they flickered from worry to being devoid of emotion, as if he knew the butler could read him. It was evident to the butler that the master had not managed to defeat his opponent – most likely, he had been about to lose and had used the last of his energy to teleport back to his mansion.

The butler hauled one of the master's arms over his shoulder and, with the other hand balancing the tray, somehow managed to open the door and helped the master over to a sofa-like chair. Then, as the master calmed himself down and seemed to meditate, the butler uncorked the wine and poured it into the wine glass, filling it up to 3 quarters. He held it out to the master who accepted it, gulping it all down in one go. Once he finished, he handed it back to the butler.

"Master, what happened?"

The question lingered in the air long after it was asked. The master made no move to answer, but simply closed his eyes and sank yet into another round of deep meditation. The butler sighed. It was just like the master to not tell him anything – for fear that he would betray him or something. Still, this made him quite a bit offended. After all, he had been under the master's guidance for a bit over a year now. And to think the master still did not trust him.

"Go and do your own work. You are going to apply to college soon, are you not?"

At the word college, the butler appeared to stiffen. Yes, he would have been headed to college, had he not met someone who knew of his powers, and had powers of his own too. And yet, that was what had happened. Now, the butler had no idea on what he was to do. Should he continue on to college? Or study under his master?

Shadows were beings that possessed powers – and they shared one common power: to disappear into the shadow at will. Besides that power, shadows also had other powers, which were divided into groups – common, uncommon, and rare. One example of a rare power would be the control over any elemental force, such as water or fire; an example of a common power would be teleportation.

Recently, the butler had gathered that there was a group that were after shadows – seeking to slaughter all of them. This group was called the "Shadow Slayers". The butler had come across this news when he had listened in on his master's conversation with one of his spies. This led to concern, which arose in the butler like a tidal wave. He barely knew what powers he possessed, and just had the faintest idea of how to use them, and now there was a group out for his blood? Quite a revelation indeed.

And just a few minutes ago, the master had been _late _and _wounded_. Had he been involved with a fight against the Shadow Slayers? Or was it another shadow?

Well, whatever it was, he was sure to be informed of it later on, when the master has affirmed and confirmed the threat. And then, finally, he would be given a mission – the details didn't really matter. He would finally be able to use his powers once again. And he would get to start training to perfect his skills and powers, to prepare for –most likely- war.

War. The very thought of it sent a rush of adrenaline coupled with dread racing through him. War was bloody. War was horrible. But war was also a way to resolve things when the other side did not want to talk things over. War was a solution when the other side was too violent and would not listen to logic. If it was war they were preparing for, it would mean an end to all the lazy, despised evenings when he had nothing to do.

And so, the butler strolled out of the room, the previous question long forgotten.

* * *

4:38 A.M

4 January

* * *

The flash of light slashed across and struck his side. Tetsuya muffled a moan of pain and gritted his teeth instead. One of his hands reached down to where he had been struck and was now bleeding while the other one aimed blindly at the rapidly moving Slayer to fire off a blast of ice. Expectedly, the Slayer moved to the side, effortlessly dodging the blast and called upon a sword of lightning to his hands.

Tetsuya's senses were overloaded with pain and numbness – the pain receptors in his side numbed down as if on instinct, but it was not enough to rid the awful, hot pain burning in his wound. It was at times as such that Tetsuya wished he had healing and defensive powers instead of purely offensive powers.

The crackle and buzz of the sword hummed in the air as the Slayer appeared to dance with it, twisting around and jabbing at Tetsuya. It was only due to experience and drilled senses that Tetsuya managed to avoid the strikes. After a well-placed kick sent the Slayer stumbling, Tetsuya concentrated hard enough to materialize a sword of ice – just in time to block a stab from the Slayer.

Both Shadow and Slayer engaged in a seemingly elegant yet furious sword dance. Blow after blow were exchanged and the battle went on endlessly, proving to be a battle of stamina. Finally, a stab in the wrong direction caught Tetsuya off guard and with one flick of his sword, the Slayer sent the ice sword clattering off and him sprawling onto the ground.

A violent fit of coughing came over Tetsuya, whose eyes seemed to glimmer with something akin to hatred as the Slayer approached him. The Slayer seemed to be wearing a gloating smirk behind the black hood that shielded his face as he approached Tetsuya, who lay there panting.

And then, he was gone.

The Slayer swerved around abruptly and was knocked out cold with a blow with the handle of the ice sword. Tetsuya wore an expression of calmness and yet no one could mistake the determination he exuded as he placed his hands over the Slayer's head and closed his own eyes.

_Memories surrounded him – from childhood pasts to dreams. But those were not what Tetsuya was looking for. Tetsuya was looking for any information related to why this man had suddenly charged him while Tetsuya was on a mission and had attempted to kill him. __Upon delving further, Tetsuya discovered a component that had writings all over it and was labelled "Shadow Slayers". According to the information, this man was a Slayer, one of many, which were a group that was formed to take down every Shadow there was._

Blue eyes snapped open in shock. This information bothered Tetsuya enormously, though he did not show so. While he was pleasantly surprised that he was not the only person of his kind, he was also suspicious at how this group, the Slayers had come to be in possession of this information. Was the founder a Shadow himself? But should the founder be a Shadow, why would he feel the need to slay other Shadows? Unless he had some kind of complex like Aomine-

'Stop.' Tetsuya closed his eyes once again, but this time was not to rummage further through the Slayer's mind, but to calm himself down. He did not want to reminisce about his past anymore. While basketball had indeed been a big part of his life, he had to move on now. It would not do to be stuck in his memories while, if the group persisted so, a war was about to start.

Tetsuya stood up abruptly, brushing off the leaves on him. His fingers wandered towards his pendant and he, almost absent-mindedly, tugged down on the pendant and he disappeared off to whichever destination he had in mind. All that remained were the unconscious Slayer and the light, barely unheard hum of remaining energy in the forest clearing.

* * *

**Finished on 16/3/2015**

**This was tiring. The fight scene was unplanned but it just came out. **

**This chapter is unedited. Maybe in the future when I'm not so tired.**

**If you guys have ANY questions, please just ask in the reviews. For the questions that I can answer, I will answer in the next chapter. Please read and review! I'd love to hear any criticism.**

**EDIT: Guess who the "master" and the "butler" is! A special shoutout will be given to those who get it correct!**

**XOXO,**

**LegacyOfLight**


End file.
